The YANA girl from Munich - 1997

Who doesn’t remember this image? To die for. How many wished it was them up there hugging Michael’ legs, being held in his arms, rocking and crying as he sang sweet melody into your ear, and all that goes with being the “chosen” one.

I often wondered what happened to the YANA girls. Apparently they are very secretive. But alas, one story that will warm your heart and make you smile. At least I did. :bearhug:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhi9kNwHmts[/youtube]

"WHO WAS THE GIRL ON STAGE DURING YOU ARE NOT ALONE, MUNICH 1997, MICHAEL JACKSON HISTORY TOUR?Have you seen the recording of the live performance of You Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson during the HIStory Tour in Munich 1997? If you care for Michael Jackson you probably have. (Otherwise, you can find it on YouTube.) There is this girl with the Teddy bear who’s screaming her lungs out when the song starts. Suddenly, a man pulls her out of the crowd and they both run up to the stage. And there she literally jumps at Michael. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him close. She’s crying, screaming (we can’t hear her because it’s a playback). Then she falls to her knees and hugs his legs kissing him …

She is the most famous YANA girl ever - or at least she could be if she'd claim it. The crazy fan, that’s what some people on the internet have called her. Other people doubt that she’s even a real fan but a paid actress. Some believe that she and Michael Jackson knew each other. And many ask: Who is she? I’ve been hunting high and low on the net and I came across many questions but never any answers.

And that’s odd.

Because we know.

Was she really just a fan? Yes. Did Michael Jackson know her before she went on stage? No. Who is she? … Yes, we know even that. But we seem to be very secretive about it.

I’ll spill the beans.

We, that’s the members of the Black & White Club. Of course, it wasn’t really a club, but looking back if feels that way. Black & White was a glossy fan magazine published four times a year by a company called Captain Eo Production based in Paris, beginning in 1993. (Not to be confused with another magazine by the same name that’s concerned with photography and has nothing to do with the one talked about here.) It is my understanding that it was written in French and then translated into German (the translations were a bit odd at times). Since it was a glossy it was fairly expensive costing DM 8,80 in Germany (about € 4,40). Regarding the fact that an early issue will make about € 20 on eBay today, it wasn’t a bad investment. But you really had to be a fan to spend that much money on a magazine back then. And while in the beginning you could buy them at every kiosk, later you had to hunt for them at big newspaper shops. So it was only a certain kind of people who read the magazine: People who were old enough to be into Michael Jackson in 1993 when the magazine was avalible at every shop and people who were enough into Michael Jackson to spend the money on it and to do the hunting for it later on. That’s the people I mean when speaking of the Members of the Black & White Club. And she was one of us.In the beginning of the 21st century the production of the magazine ceased.

There was an interesting aspect about Black & White: It was known that Michael Jackson had it translated for himself. Of course no-one knows to what extent he really read the issues, but at least it seems likely that he read parts of it. So if you had your message and photo printed in an issue there was a fairly good chance to get it across to Michael himself. How does that sound?

But let’s go back to the girl on stage. I've asked myself over time whether or not I may I tell. Let’s face it, she didn’t answer any of these questions in years (though she did answer them once). Obviously, she doesn’t want to. And it's not like I can't understand her. The Michael Jackson Fans have always been a tough bunch and it seems to me they have become worse since. They are easily jealous and many are all too willing to hate one another. So who am I to blow her cover?

She was an 18-year-old girl who went on stage with a pop star long ago. By now she is a grown woman with a job, probably even a husband and children. She isn’t a star. And she didn’t give away the right to a normal life just because Michael Jackson’s assistent let her go up on stage, because Michael Jackson later decided that this should be the concert to be officially aired on TV or because Michael Jackson unfortunatly happened to pass away before he could give another girl the chance to go up on stage and dance with him to You Are Not Alone or any other such song.

On the other hand she did answer those questions once. Back in 1998 she shared her experience in Black & White. Other fans had shared their experiences with Michael Jackson before her. But she did it in such a likeable way! Many others seemed slightly arrogant to me. She did not. She put so much effort into going up on stage, much more than I would ever have. It didn’t make me feel jealous, it made me feel happy for her that it finally worked out. In my opinion she had really deserved it. And by sharing her story she gave everybody of the Black & White Club the feeling of having been there on stage with her. Yes, maybe that's why we are all so secretive about it: We feel special. We look at her and we know all that went before and so we understand her. We are there with her again every time. Somehow this scene belongs a bit more to us than to the rest of the world. Whenever I see it, it makes me smile for her though I never met her.

When people call her crazy it upsets me. Because I think she wasn’t anymore crazy than everybody who will manage to last through a Michael Jackson concert in the very front row. But I think Michael Jackson’s assistant Anthony and the cameraman really did their very best to drive her nuts.

While I have a hard time giving away other people’s full names on the internet without their consent, I feel it will be fair to make an article public that has been published before and thus let her tell her story herself.

One more thing! - Please notice that a COPYRIGHT probably still exists on the material below and that I do not know who holds it after the end of the Captain Eo Production, but it isn’t me. I do not have the French original, therefore below you find the scans from the German magazine and an English translation done by me. If at time it sounds awkward, that is because the German translation from French wasn't any better. I didn't want to interpret what she may have meant, so I just translated the text as I had it. The translation is subject to the same copyright. So if you should want to take and use any of the material below in any context please quote the sorce correctly as follows:"

Black & White MagazineNo. 23; 1998; pp. 18, 19Captain Eo Production

he above is quote from the page. As the rest is copyrighted material, I will post a link for you to visit the page and read her story and see the magazine mentioned and the complete article spotlighting her.

I always have to wonder about these types of things with all concerts. Would artists truly let a wild fan on stage with them? I can see Michael wanting to....but really, would the powers at be let it happen....if for no other reason: insurance. One slip, one fall, one disorder of any kind, and people are sue-happy. I would think the liability factor would be too great. But, the romantic in me still hopes..........

Here's the clip for Munich btw:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlLmC77mDao[/youtube]

I went looking, lol......I found this one that is just plain sweet....I really like it:

About those "chosen" girls, Thalía, the Mexican singer and wife of Mottola, was the one jumping on the stage when Michael had a concert in Mexico. She was famous already then. So I guess that the "chosen" girls were chosen for different reasons over other fans. Who knows, may be family connections within the music industry or other business.

Logged

("Minkin güerveeeee")Michael pls come back

"Why a four-year-old child could understand this hoax. Run out and find me a four-year-old child. I can't make head nor tail out of it"

I don't know how Michael's camp works, but when my friend went onstage with an entertainer it had been pre-determined and the cost of her ticket was higher. She was moved upfront about 15 minutes before she was due to go on. So...

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"Don't stop this child, He's the father of man Don't cross his way, He's part of the plan I am that child, but so are you You've just forgotten, Just lost the clue.”

I have mixed feelings about these 'fans on stage with MJ' moments. I guess he must've been happy to have included these parts, they were his shows after all, but sometimes I get the feeling he was uncomfortable with it. Avoiding eye contact is a classic give-away and there's plenty of evidence of that in his many and varied fan meetings.

@MissG, I like the Japanese fans too - they are more restrained and respectful - and they actually get to dance with him, instead of trying to smother the man. I love how he can control a woman, whether in a frenzy or calm, with a firm hand!